We could only look at sexual CSW and well-being for women with PVD (and not their partners) because only women’s greater sexual CSW was linked to their own greater daily sexual distress.

We found that for women with PVD who had higher sexual CSW, when their sexual distress was higher on days they had sex, they had lower sexual satisfaction and greater anxiety, depressed mood, and pain during sex (compared to their average across all the days that they had sex). Results suggest that daily sexual distress might explain the links between greater sexual CSW and poorer day-to-day well-being in women with PVD.

When women with PVD base their self-esteem on their sexual relationship, they might be more likely to become distressed about this relationship. On days that they engage in sex and have greater sexual distress than they usually do, they might also be less satisfied with their sexual relationship, have more pain if they have vaginal intercourse, and have more anxiety and depressed mood.